Joint cover



June 17, 1941. M, WOLFE 2,245,633

JOINT COVER Filed July 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,2:11, Ue 7i 2101"4 June 17, 1941. G M WQLFE 2,245,633

JOI/,NT COVER Filed July 22, 193B 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 1941 JOINT COVER George Morton Wolfe, Buialo, N. Y.

Application July 22, 1938, Serial No. 220,686

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a joint cover which is used to prevent water, snow and ice from entering the joint between adjacent members of a building or other structure, such as the stones of a parapet which are arranged end to end, and thereby prevent the mortar or cement in such joints from disintegrating and ultimateiy ruining the structure.

A patent was granted me for a device of this character under No. 1,988,029 on January l5, i935, and the present invention is an improvement thereon. g

The objects of this invention are to simplify the construction of thejoint cover, reduce its cost and increase its eliciency and to that end this invention consists generally in making the cover plate in one piece with the expansible body plates and the wings on the latter, also making the wings and the cover plate horizontal or at right angles to the body plates and thus maintain the cover plate and wings constantly in engagement with each other during expansion or contraction of the joint cover and thus exclude water, dirt and the like from between the cover plate at all times, and also to improve the means .for centering the plates of the body in the joint between adjacent building members so that this body will be embedded on its opposite sides in the mortar or cement in this joint vand effectively seal the same against the entrance of rain, dirt or the like.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a parapet showing the joint between two adjacent blocks of stone or the like on its top protected by a joint cover embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on an enlargedscale, taken on line 2 2, Fig. l, and showing this joint closed tightly.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the joint between the adjacent building blocks or members opened due to shrinkage or contraction of stone or mortar or both.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line lle-ri, Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is an inverted perspective View of a part of a joint cover containing the present improvement.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the same taken on line 6 6, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 'l-'|', Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view similar to Fig. l

showing a slightly modified form of the joint cover made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the joint cover shown in Fig. 8 having a part broken away to more clearly illustrate the structural feature in which this form of the invention differs from that shown in Figs. 1 7.

Fig. 10 is another perspective view similar to Figs. 1 and 8 showing another form of joint cover made in accordance with this invention.

In the following description similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings:

Referring to Figs. 1-7 the numeral 2i! represents adjacent building members which may form any part of a building but which for present purposes will loe-assumed to form the top of a parapet or re wall 2l on the root or similar part of a building. Each of the building blocks in this instance is provided with vertical transverse ends 22 and vertical longitudinal sides 23 and its top is con structed to form two slopes 2d which incline )laterally from the longitudinal center of this block to the opposite vertical sides thereof so that any rain or snow water will run oil? the same. It is customary to space apart the opposing transverse ends 22 of adjacent building blocks a suitable distance to form a recess which is usually filled with a cementing agent such as cement, mortar or other available plastic or elastic material commonly employed for this purpose to secure these blocks in place and seal the joint between them.l

The cement or mortar comprises a body 25 arranged in the recess between the opposing ends of the building blocks and an enlarged head 26 which spreads from the upper end of this body and overhangs the adjacent parts of the exterior of these blocks and exclude water therefrom. The improved joint cover forming the subject of 'this invention extends into this recess and embedded in the cement therein and also extends over the head of this body in the manner described in said patent. In the preferred embodiment of this improved joint cover the same is constructed and mounted as follows:

The numeral 2l represents two metal plates arranged side by side and constituting the body of the joint cover. These body plates are connected at their inner ends and capable of moving toward and from each other at their outer ends. This joint cover body is arranged in the cement body 25 within the recess between 'the respective building blocks and its plates are adapted to expand or separate and contract with the cement or mortar in which the same are embedded due to changes in temperature which cause alternate freezing and shrinking and thawing and expansion of the building blocks or wall material.

The numeral 28 represents two tensions or wings which are normally arranged horizontally or at right angles to the body plates and project' laterally in opposite directions from the outer edges of the same. These wings overhang and engage with the opposite enlarged parts or head 2E of the sealing mortar or cement between the building blocks and thus operate to fasten the wings 23 to the adjacent parts of the respective building blocks so that upon separation of the same the outer parts of the body plates will be moved from the closed position shown in Fig. Z to the open or separated position shown in Fig. 3. At their outer edges the wings 2S are provided with inwardly projecting ilanges 29, 3@ which engage with the lateral sides of the overhanging parts of the mortar or cement head 2t and also bear against the adjacent outer surface of the building blocks so as to enclose this mortar or cement and prevent damaging of the same by weather conditions.

The numeral 3i represents a cover plate normally arranged horizontally or at right angles to the body plates 2l and parallel with the wings 28 and engaging with the outer sides of the latter so as to extend over the outer end of the slit or gap between the body plates. The cover plate is connected with the wing of one of the body plates so that when the body plates expand and contract this cover plate will slide on the wing of the other body plate without interfering with the position of the latter and thereby constantly close the gap or slit between the body plates and eX- clude rain, water and snow therefrom. The connection between the cover plate and the respective wing and body plate of the joint cover is preferably eflected by means of a web 32 projecting inwardly from one longitudinal edge of the cover plate along the outer side of the flange Sil of the respective wing and said web having its inner edge connected with the inner edge of the iiange 3Q, as best shown in Figs. 2 6.

By thus constructing the joint cover its several elements comprising the body plates 2l, wings 28, Iianges 29, 38, cover plate 3i and web 32 can be formed integrally from a single sheet of metal such as copper, sheet iron or the like, thereby not only reducing the cost of the same materially but also avoiding liability of the cover plate being detached from the wings and body plates and exposing the slit or gap between the body plates to the entrance of water, ice, snow and dirt and interfering with the operation of this joint cover.

By making the cover plate 3i and the wings 23 so that the same are horizontal or at right angles to the body plates, this cover plate always engages ilatwise with the wings throughout practically the entire cuter surface of the latter regardless of whether the body plates are fully closed and the cement in the space between them is unbroken, as shown in Fig. 2, or whether the body plates are spread apart and the cement in this space is broken, as shown at 33 in Fig. 3.

When the upper surface of the blocks forming the top of the parapet or wire wall is at or in the same plane throughout this surface then the joint cover cooperating with the upper transverse part of the joint between such blocks may be straight, as shown in Figs. 8 and l0. Ii, however, this upper surface of the building blocks slopes from its center to the sides thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, then the plates of the body, the flanges of the wings and the Web of the cover plate. are notched at the junction between sections of the joint cover in order to permit these sections to be arranged at the required angle to conform to the slope of the respective part of the building blocks.

If desired those parts of the joints between opposing building blocks adjacent to the Vertical sides thereof may be protected by the joint cover embodying this invention by arranging the several members of the joint cover vertically as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and associating the same with the vertical parts of the joint between said blocks and the cement or mortar therein in the same manner in which this is done in connection with the upper substantially horizontal parts of the joint cover and blocks and the same reference characters therefore apply to the several corre spending members.

t is preferable to make the horizontal and vertical members of the joint cover shown in Figs. l and 4 from a single piece ofsheet metal and this is accomplished by notching the plates of the body, the flanges of the wings and the web of the cover adjacent to the corner between the top and the sides of the building blocks but leaving the adjacent part of the cover plate unnotched or continuous. This form of joint cover permits of applying the same to the top and side parts of the building blocks, by bending the cover plate in line with the corner of the building blocks, as best shown at 3d in Fig. 4, and bringing the edges of the notched parts of the joint cover together as shown for example at 3d, 36 in the same ligure.

If it is desired to protect against damage only the mortar or cement in the upper vertical parts of the joint between adjacent building blocks in addition to that in the transverse upper parts of this joint then the body plates, wings, flanges and cover web of thehorizontal part of the joint 'cover are terminated adjacent to the vertical sides of the building blocks and only the cover plate is provided with a flap extension 31 which is bent downwardly from the end of the cover plate, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, so as to overlap the upper vertical part of 'the mortar or cement between the building blocks and thus prevent rain and snow water fromrcoming in contact with the sealing cement or mortar in the respective part of Vthis joint.

If no protection for the cement or mortar the vertical parts of the joint between the building blocks is required all of the parts of the joint cover extending over the top of the blocks may terminate at the sides thereof, as shown in Fig. l0.

Improved means are provided for centering the body plates in the gap between the opposing faces or sides of the building blocks and thereby insure the presence of cement or mortar between the outer sides of both body plates and the respective building block in order to render this joint secure and weather tight.

This is accomplished in accordance with the presentA invention by providing the body plates at intervals with spacing projections each of which is formed by stamping or displacing parts of both of these plates which are transversely in line with each other and comprises an outer cupshaped section 38 which is formed on one of the body plates and an inner cup-shaped section 39 which projects in the same direction as the companion outer sections but is of smaller diameter and engages with the inner side of the same.

The two cup-shaped sections therefore form practically one member and are not only strong but also can be formed in both body plates by one operation while these plates are in a folded con dition and therefore can be handled more economically. In the preferred arrangement of the spacing projections the same extend alternately in opposite directions from the body plates, as shown in Figs. 5 and '7, whereby a uniform centering effect is produced by these projections throughout the length of the joint cover.

In using the joint cover embodying this improvement the building blocks are set in the usual manner on the top of a parapet, fire wall or the like with a clearance space or joint gap between the opposing end of adjacent blocks. Into each of these spaces a sufficient amount of mason mortar, cement or other plastic sealing medium is placed so as to not only iiil the same but also preferably project to some extent beyond the outer side of these stones.

A quantity of mortar or cement is now applied to the inner or underside of each of the wings and then the body plates are pushed into the mortar loaded space between the building blocks and the wings are pressed toward the outer side of the building blocks until the anges of the latter bear against the blocks. When this occurs the mortar on the underside of the Wings joins that which has previously been placed between the ends of the blocks, and also the mortar to spread out and form on the narrow mortar body, an enlarged head at its outer edge which overhangs the blocks and thereby effectively secures the joint cover to the blocks so as to move therewith. This joint cover forms a closure on the outer side of this joint which positively prevents the entrance of rain, snow or ice water and thereby prevents the wall from disintegrating under the severest weather conditions.

I claim as my invention:

1. A joint cover comprising a body adapted to project into a joint between adjacent building members and composed of plates which are connected at their inner edges, extension wings projecting laterally in opposite directions from the outer edges of said body plates, flanges projecting inwardly from the outer edges ofi said wings toward the outer side 'of said building members, and a cover plate extending over the joint between said building members and provided at one o its edges with an inwardly turned web which is connected with the flange of the respective wing, and said cover plate being provided at its ends with lips which are bent downwardly and adapted to extend across the ends of the joint between said building members.

2. A joint cover comprising a body adapted to project into the joint between adjacent building members and composed of plates having their inner edges connected, extension wings projecting laterally in opposite directions from the outer edges of said body plates and adapted to extend over the outer side of the respective building members, and spacing projections formed on said body piates and adapted to center the latter in the joint between said building members, each of said spacing projections consisting of an outer cup-shaped section which is formed out of one of said body plates and an inner cup-shaped section formed out of the other body plate and arranged Within the companion outer section.

3. A joint cover comprising a body adapted to project into the joint between adjacent building members and composed of plates having their inner edges connected, extension wings projecting laterally in opposite directions from the outer edges of said body plates and adapted to extend over the outer side of the respective building members, and spacing projections formed on said body plates and adapted to center the latter in..

the joint between said building members, each of said spacing projections consisting of an outer large cup-shaped section which is formed out of one of said body plates and an inner small cupshaped section formed out of the other body plate and engaging the inner side of said large cup-shaped section.

GEORGE MORTON WOLFE. 

